When all of us baseball fans think of rivalries, the usual suspects come to mind. Yankees vs Red Sox, Dodgers vs. Giants, and of course, the Cardinals vs. the Cubs. The rivalry probably started over 60 years ago, when KMOX echoed Cardinals games (the Western-most team in baseball for a long time) all the way to Kentucky, Iowa, Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle on a clear night, and WGN Radio powered Cubs games into Wisconsin, Indiana, and even parts of Michigan. Territories were established, and the rivalry only heightened with the Cards continued success and the Cubs continued mediocrity. Then there was the fabled "Broglio for Brock" trade, and we all knew how that panned out. Move up into modern times, and there was the Sosa vs McGwire home run race, which probably did more at any time to change the rivalry into a friendly one. The rivalry again heated up in the early 2000's, when La Russa hater Dusty Baker took the helm and the Cubs made some key acquisitions, along with the rise of super young stud pitchers Wood, Prior, and Zambrano. The rivalry was a key part of the LaRussa book "Three Nights in August", which fueled the LaRussa/Baker spat even more. The intensity of the rivalry began to recede, and Cards fans watched happily as Steve Bartman (along with at least 3 errors) ran the Cubs out of the playoffs, and Cubs players began to attack each other, even in the dugout on national television.
I was always a Cubs hater to say the least, getting great joy in watching them spiral downward as a result of bad contracts, poor management, and general malaise on the field. Any chance I got to smear a Cubs fan, I did gladly. It began to change for me when I got the pleasure of taking a nice trip to Wrigley for a Cubs/Cards weekend series in late July, 2010. I spent time before and after the game walking around enjoying the scenery and merits of Wrigleyville, and being in baseball heaven urinating in trough, drinking lots of Old Style (on draught of course), riding a train to and from the game, and soaking up a generally amazing baseball atmosphere. The Cubs were in the cellar or close to it, and of course as I proudly wore my 80's vintage powder blue Cards jersey, watched the Cards drop the Friday and Saturday games. Wrigley exploded after each final pitch like they had just won a World Series. I was expecting horrible, ego-bruising verbal abuse after the game, but I was surprised. The same fans I sat next to and chatted aimlessly with for two days didn't do any more than give me a general laugh. Many cocktails were exchanged, along with 20 years of baseball stories between fans a 4 hour distance apart on I-55, who had to automatically hate each other because of who's jersey they wore. It gave me a different outlook to say the least. Nothing, and I mean nothing, irritates me more than a fair-weather fan, which in all fairness, are not Cubs fans. They cheer for their team regardless of record, standings, and/or performance. I respect that tons. That's a fan. I am contemplating a trip back to Wrigley to soak up some of the best baseball atmosphere, period, enjoy a giant Wrigley hot dog, sip on some Old Styler draught, and proudly wear the "Birds on the Bat" as stroll through Wrigleyville. So to my friends and followers who think I am losing it, I am still Cards to the bone, and Busch is the one true "Baseball Heaven". Just remember, unless he or she deserves otherwise (some do), be nice to a Cubs fan. Thanks for reading-Joe
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